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Political Parties: Political Parties and Interest Groups in Israel Gregory Mahler Earlham College Richmond, Indiana December 9-11, 2007 Parliamentary Government • “Westminister” vs. Presidential Government – 1. Split executive – 2. President symbolic; Prime Minister and Cabinet powerful – 3. Prime Minister and Cabinet from the Knesset – 4. Government responsible to the Knesset • The Knesset and the Prime Minister • The President Political Ideology • l. Private enterprise (a) vs. socialism (b); • 2. "Activist" Arab policy (c) vs. restraint (d); • 3. Torah oriented life (e) vs. secularism (f); • 4. Pro-Soviet Union (g) vs. pro-West (h); • 5. Zionist (i) vs. non-Zionist (j).* A---------------------------------------------------------------------B C---------------------------------------------------------------------D E---------------------------------------------------------------------F G---------------------------------------------------------------------H I----------------------------------------------------------------------J * Thomas Goodland, "A Mathematical Presentation of Israel's Political Parties," British Journal of Sociology 8 (1957): 263-66. Political Parties Functions of Political Parties – Personnel Agencies – Organize Groups and Articulate Demands – Frame of Reference – Linkage Mechanisms The Electoral System • Proportional Representation (Israel) vs. Single-Member-District Representation (U.S.) • Electoral Lists of Political Parties • Accuracy of Representation • The 1992 “Deviation” The Complexity of the Coalition-Formation Process • Situation I: Simplest Majority Possibilities – Parties: A (44), B (42), C (14) AB, AC, BC, ABC • Situation II: More Complex Majority Possibilities – Parties: A (38), B (20), C (17), D (15), E (10) AB, AC, AD, ABC, ABD, ABE, ADE, BCD, etc. • Situation III: Most Complex Majority Possibilities – Parties: A (30), B (19), C (12), D (9), E (8), F (8), G (7), H (7) ABC, ABD, ABE, ABF, ABG, BCDE, CDEFGH, etc. Approx. Life of Date of Govt. Knesset Prime Minister (Party) Coalition Partners Govt. (Months) Creation 1. Mar. 10, ‘49 I 20 Ben-Gurion (Mapai) Left, Center, Religious 2. Nov. 1, ‘50 I 10 Ben-Gurion (Mapai) Left, Center, Religious 3. Sept. 8, ‘51 II 15 Ben-Gurion (Mapai) Left, Religious 4. Dec. 24, ‘52 II 13 Ben-Gurion (Mapai) Left, Center 5. Jan. 26, ‘54 II 17 Sharett (Mapai) Left, Center 6. Je. 29, ‘55 III 4 Sharett (Mapai) Left, Center, Religious Governments 7. Nov. 3, ‘55 III 26 Ben-Gurion (Mapai) Left, Center 8. Jan. 7, ‘58 III 24 Ben-Gurion (Mapai) Left, Center and 9. Dec. 17, ‘59 IV 23 Ben-Gurion (Mapai) Left, Center, Religious 10. Nov. 2, ‘61 V 19 Ben-Gurion (Mapai) Left, Religious 11. Je. 26, ‘63 V 18 Eshkol (Mapai) Left, Religious Coalitions 12. Dec. 22,‘64 V 13 Eshkol (Mapai) Left, Religious 13. Jan. 12,’66 VI 38 Eshkol (Mapai) Left, Religious 14. Mar.17, ‘69 VI 9 Meir (Mapai) Left, Religious 15. Dec. 15,‘69 VII 51 Meir (Mapai) Left, Religious 16. Mar. 10,’74 VIII 3 Meir (Mapai) Left, Religious 17. Je. 3, ‘74 VIII 36 Rabin (Mapai) Left, Religious 18. Je. 20, ‘77 IX 49 Begin (Likud) Right, Center, Religious 19. Aug. 5, ‘81 X 26 Begin (Likud) Right, Center, Religious 20. Oct. 10, ‘83 X 11 Shamir (Likud) Right, Center, Religious 21. Sept. 13,‘84 XI 25 Peres (Labor) Left, Right, Religious 22. Oct. 20, ‘86 XI 26 Shamir (Likud) Right, Left, Religious 23. Dec. 22, ‘88 XII 18 Shamir (Likud) Right, Left, Religious 24. Je 11, ‘90 XII 25 Shamir (Likud) Right, Religious 25. July 13, ‘92 XIII 40 Rabin (Labor) Left, Religious 26. Nov. 22,‘95 XIII 7 Peres (Labor) Left 27. Je 18, ‘96 XIV 37 Netanyahu (Likud) Right, Religious 28. July 6, ‘99 XV 20 Barak (One Israel) Left, Center, Religious 29. Mar. 7, ‘01 XV 23 Sharon (Likud) Right, Left, Center, Rel. 30. Feb. 20, ‘03 XVI 37 Sharon (Likud) Right, Center, Religious 31. Apr. 5, ‘06 XVII Olmert (Kadima) Center, Left, Religious Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs web site: www.mfa.gov.il/mfa/go.asp?MFAH0hyd0 Voting and Electoral Outcomes Figure 7.2: Relative Strength of Labor and Likud in Knesset Seats 60 56 50 51 48 46 47 47 45 45 44 44 42 43 40 40 41 40 39 39 38 34 32 32 32 30 26 26 26 20 19 19 Numberof Seats 17 17 14 15 10 8 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Labor 46 45 40 47 42 45 56 51 32 47 44 39 44 34 26 19 Likud 14 8 15 17 17 26 26 39 43 48 41 40 32 32 19 38 Knesset Labor Likud Source: Central Bureau of Statistics, Statistical Abstract of Israel, 2001, Table 10.01, “Elections to the Knesset: Legend to Tables 10.1-10.3,” http://www.cbs.gov.il/shnaton52/st10_001.pdf; Table 10.3, “Knesset Members By Main List,” http://www.cbs.gov.il/shnaton52/st10_03.pdf; Ministry of Foreign Affairs web About Voting in Israel • The Elections in Israel are: • General: Every citizen of the State of Israel over the age of 18 years has the right to participate in elections. • National: The entire country constitutes a single electoral district. • Direct: The Knesset members are elected directly by the public and not by any other body. • Equal: Every citizen has one vote, and all votes carry equal weight. • Secret: The voting is done by secret ballot. No one but the voter knows for whom s/he voted. • Every citizen is free to vote according to his/her conscience without anyone else knowing how he/she voted. • Elections Results • 1. Any electoral list receiving more than 2% of the valid votes will be represented in the Knesset. 2. Each list will receive a number of Knesset seats in proportion to the number of valid votes it receives. The 2006 Election Seats in the Knesset Electoral Results 2006 Coalition Government, 2006 • Ehud Olmert (K) Prime Minister/Social Welfare • Tzipi Livni (K) Vice PM / Foreign Affairs • Shimon Peres (K) Vice PM / Negev and Galilee • Amir Peretz (LM) Deputy PM / Defense • Eliyahu Yishai (S) Deputy PM / Industry, Trade, Labor • Shaul Mofaz (K) Deputy PM / Transportation and Roads • Ariel Atias (S) Communications • Ronnie Bar-On (K) Interior • Yacov Ben Yizri (G) Health • Benj. Ben-Eliezer (LM) National Infrastructures Total Portfolios: 25 • Ze’ev Boim (K) Immigrant Absorption • Eitan Cabel (LM) Minister w/o Portfolio Kadima: 12 • Yitzhak Cohen (S) Minister w/o Portfolio Labor-Meimad: 7 • Abraham Dicter (K) Public Security Shas: 4 • Ya’akov Edery (K) Minister w/o Portfolio Gil: 2 • Rafi Eitan (G) Pensioner Affairs • Gideon Ezra (K) Environment • Isaac Herzog (LM) Tourism • Abraham Hirchson (K) Finance • Meschulam Nahari (S) Minister w/o Portfolio • Ophir Pines-Paz (LM) Science and Technology • Haim Ramon (K) Justice • Meir Sheetrit (K) Housing and Construction • Shalom Simhon (LM) Agriculture and Rural Development • Yuli Tamir (LM) Education, Culture, Sport Significance of the Electoral Process • P.R. voting accurately portrays the public’s preferences. Too accurately? • How would the Knesset be different if there were district-based representation? • Coalition instability • Prime ministerial weakness Major Political Parties in Israeli Elections 1949-2003 • KACH KACH - Movement founded by Rabi Meir Kahana • A Israel Labour Party (MAPAI) • KN Shlomzion - Realization of Zionism Movement • AMT Alignment - Israel Labour Party and United Workers' • KN Yisrael Ba-aliyah headed by Nathan Sharansky Party (7th-12th Knesset) ; Labour headed by Yizhaq • L Liberal Party Rabin (13th K.) ; Labour (in the 14th Knesset) ; • L Yisrael Beiteinu headed by Avigdor Lieberman One Israel headed by Ehud Barak - Labour, • LA Independent Liberals Gesher, Meimad (15th Knesset) • M -MAPAM United Workers' Party and Non-aligned • AT Alignment - Israel Labour Party • MHL Halikud (Mahal) - Likud, Gesher, Zomet and Unity of Labour (6th Knesset) • MEREZ Merez - Democratic Israel, RZ, Mapam, Shinui • B National Religious Front, Mizrahi and Mizrahi Workers • M Am Ahad headed by Amir Perez - • G United Torah Judaism - Agudat Yisrael, Faction of Workers and Pensioners Degel HaTorah, Rabbi Yizhaq Peretz • NJ Israel Tradition Movement (TAMI) Agudat Israel Workers (was AI/PAI) • ADP Arab Democratic Party • D National Democratic Alliance (BALAD) • AD Morasha, Mazad, Agudat Yisrael Workers • HD The Third Way for National Consensus • AM State List • HN Centre - Shinui List • AM United Arab List (in the 15th Knesset) • W Democratic Front for Peace and Equality; The Israel • EZ Degel Hatorah Communist Party (RAKAH), Black Panthers and • P Progressive List For Peace Jewish and Arab Circles • PH Center Party headed by Yizhaq Mordechai • H Freedom Party • PS Flatto-Sharon - Development and Peace • HL Herut-Liberal Front (GAHAL) • TZ Zomet - Movement for Zionist Renewal • HLTAM Likud • K Israel Communist Party • T Free Center (in the 7th Knesset) • KN Moqed (Tekhelet-Adom Movement) • T Moledet • RZ Citizens' Rights Movement and Peace • T Yahad - Movement for National Unity (11th Knesset) • S HaOlam Haze • YT National Union - Moledet, Herut, Tequma • S Shelli • YM United Arab List (in the 9th Knesset) • SHAS Universal Assn. of Sefardi Observers of the Torah • JS Ometz - Recovery of the Economy (10th-11th Knesset) • Th Resurrection • JS Democratic Movement for Change (DASH) (9th Kn.) • TW Unity of Labour • JS Shinui - Secular Movement headed • TLM Movement for State Renewal (KEN) • KA Israel Workers' List (RAFI) • -- Minorities' lists connected with the Alignment • -- Other lists Current Israeli Parties Left Parties Religious Parties - One Israel - National Religious Party - Meretz - Shas Center and Right Parties - United Torah Judaism - Center Party Reform - Likud - Shinui - Liberal Party Far Left and Arab - Yisrael Ba’Aliya - Dem. Ft. for Peace and Equality - National Unity - United Arab List - Israel Beitenu - Balad Interest Groups • The Histadrut (General Federation of Workers) • The Military • International Jewry • Specific ethnic/religious groups (Shas, Ashkenazic Jews, Falashas, Moroccans, etc.) • Arab Political Organizations Political Parties: Political Parties and Interest Groups in Israel Gregory Mahler Earlham College Richmond, Indiana December 9-11, 2007.
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